


Scary Spice

by SharkGirl



Series: SPICE [3]
Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball, ダイヤのA | Daiya no A | Ace of Diamond, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Bickering, Blossoming relationship, Idols, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Blood, Narumiya Mei-centric, Stalking, Threats, Toudou Jinpachi/Narumiya Mei Interactions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 03:10:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6836629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mei starts to get unwanted attention from a mysterious fan whose gifts verge on frightening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait. Wasn't this a happy series?
> 
> The title is actually kind of funny (?) because, since all the SPICE boys are named after SPICE GIRLS, Mei is Scary. But this story is also scary. (Scary for me, you guys. Scary for me)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!  
> This is going to have multiple chapters because it's getting long. But probably just two, though.  
> EDIT: I lied. It's going to be three chapters. But everything is already written. Ch 2 just needed to be split.
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta, indevan!

“That was intense!” Kisumi said from his spot in front of the mirror, a makeup removing wipe in one hand, the other holding back his bangs. “The crowd really likes when we perform that ensemble, huh?”

“Well, it could have something to do with the chemistry you’ve got going on with that lead singer of theirs.” Oikawa bumped him with his hip and took the spot next to him at the mirror. “You and Asahi-chan finally do it?”

“Tooru!” their leader gasped and looked affronted, but then he gave a sly smile. “Maybe.”

“Hey, I’m dating a member of DIVER, too, you know.” Kise pushed past them and grabbed some wipes, pouting at their reflections. “And I’ve been with Kasamatsucchi for way longer.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Oikawa pat the blond’s head. “But Kisumi-chan’s relationship is all new and hot and I want the details,” he paused, chocolate brown eyes softening, “you understand.”

“You guys are gross,” Mei said over the back of the couch.

“Must you take up the entirety of every couch in every green room?” Toudou complained, but Mei ignored him. “And,” the older man continued, noticing how the blond had turned away, “don’t say they’re gross.” He crossed his arms over chest. “Just because Kisumi-san’s relationship is progressing faster than yours.”

“I’m not _in_ a relationship.” Mei narrowed his eyes, feeling his blood pressure rising.  Toudou always had a way of getting under his skin and knowing exactly which buttons _not_ to push – and pushing them anyway.

“Still feeding us that line, are you?” Toudou folded his arms over his chest. “One of these days you’re going to have to admit-”

“Admit what?” Mei sat up and faced him, brows drawn down.

“Guys, I can only cutely say ‘stop fighting’ for so long.” Kise stepped between them, his hands on his hips. “Eventually, even I’ll get annoyed.”

“Oh, look what you’ve done, Miya-chan!” Toudou gasped, scandalized. “You’ve got us fighting in front of our child again.” He pulled Kise’s head to his chest, which was awkward since their youngest member was easily fifteen centimeters taller than him, and smoothed his hair.  Mei would have found the sight hilarious if he wasn’t aggravated.

“Toudoucchi,” Kise whined and pulled away. “I’m not a child.”

“He said childishly,” Toudou countered with a self-satisfied grin.

“Just how many band members do you plan on pissing off tonight?” Mei stood up and stared him down.

“I’m just doing my _job_ , Miya-chan.” Toudou puckered his lips and blinked. “Ira-Idol, remember?”

“Not that I don’t appreciate your efforts, Jinpachi-chan,” Oikawa said, turning away from the mirror, his face suddenly turning dark. “But if you insist on practicing on us, you will not make it through this tour alive.”

“Tooru, relax. You’ll get wrinkles.” Kisumi put a hand on the brunet’s shoulder and Oikawa immediately spun around, checking his face closely in the mirror.  “Anyway,” the pink-haired man turned toward the others, “let’s finish getting changed and then we’ll ride the bus overnight to the next prefecture.”

“Ugh, I hate riding the bus overnight,” Toudou and Kise said together.

Mei agreed with them, but he remained silent.  He was still not happy with Toudou and he didn’t feel like joining in with them.

“I want to ride with the crew.” Toudou was already on to his next complaint.  “It’s stuffy now that DIVER is riding with us.”

“The bus has plenty of room.” Kisumi frowned at him.  “You just want to ride with your boyfriend.”

“Duh!” the dark-haired man shouted. “Kisumi-san and Kise-chan get to ride with their boyfriends…”

“I waited a long time to finally get to ride with Kasamatsucchi.” Kise huffed. “Besides, it’s not like we can _do_ anything on the bus.”

Mei was beginning to get a headache.  They were only a few shows into their tour and they were already at each other’s throats.  He needed to calm down, maybe try some of those deep-breathing relaxation techniques Masa had taught him.

“I’m sure Oikawa-san and Miya-chan feel the same way,” Toudou said, hoping someone would back him up.

“Don’t involve me in this.” Mei returned to the couch and flopped down, closing his eyes.

“But don’t you want to ride with Masa-chan?” Toudou’s voice was suddenly right by his ear. “I mean, he _is_ your boyfriend and-”

“He is _not_ my boyfriend!” Mei sat up and almost head-butted the other man in the process. “Masa-san is just-”

“Mei?” a cautious voice called from the doorway. They all looked over and saw the man in question, as tall and as broad as ever, thick eyebrows knit together and face earnest.

“The man has impeccable timing,” Toudou whispered, shaking his head in disbelief and walking to join the others at the mirror.

“What’s up, Masa-san?” Mei looked up at him from the couch, pushing down his urge to stand up and walk over to him, since he knew he’d most definitely be teased about it.

“A package arrived for you.” Their head of security held up a box large enough to hold a bowling ball, wrapped in gold and red paper with a crimson bow on top. “I know you’ve instructed the staff to answer your fan mail for you, but I wasn’t sure if you were expecting anything.”

Mei stood up, blue eyes fixed on the gift in Masa’s hands.

“I’m not expecting anything.” He furrowed his brow. His birthday was in January and it wasn’t a holiday.  “Does it say who it’s from?”

“There’s no card, but I had my team inspect it and it seems harmless.” Masa held it out to him.

Mei took the gift, his fingers accidentally brushing the taller man’s and sending a spark of electricity through his body.  He cleared his throat awkwardly and brought the present to his chest.

“Thank you, Masa-san.”

“Of course.” The larger man gave a gentle smile and Mei felt himself beginning to melt, but stopped when he heard Toudou behind him.

“Aww!”

“Shut up, you!” He spun around and glared at the other man, who had already turned back toward the mirror and was adjusting his headband.  “Thanks, Masa-san,” he said without facing the bodyguard and made his way back over to the couch.  He heard the door close and knew the other man had left.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Toudou said, hands resting on the back on the couch as he looked down at Mei, but the blond didn’t answer.  “So,” he continued, apparently determined to piss him off, “what’s in it?”

“Like I can tell. I haven’t opened it.” Mei took a deep breath, willing himself not to explode.  He opened the box and found it to be mostly empty.  All that was inside was a standard-sized envelope.

“Why would they send a letter in a box?” Kise asked, also curious as to what the other blond had received.

“Maybe they heard that Mei-Mei gets his fan mail answered by the staff,” Kisumi suggested. “A gift was a smart way to make sure he read it personally.”

“That’s crafty!” Oikawa nodded in agreement.

“Who’s it say it’s from?” Toudou peeked into the box, all teasing gone from his tone.

“I don’t know.” Mei opened the envelope and just barely caught the ring that fell out of it.

“Wow, that’s pretty!” Kise leaned closer to study it.

The ring was gold with a beautiful crimson stone set into the band.  Mei turned it over in his hands and saw that there was an engraving inside.

_‘Forever.’_

“Whoa.” Kise must have seen it, too.

“What’s the note say?” Oikawa asked.  Now they were all crowded around Mei on the couch, eager to know more about this mysterious fan with impeccable taste.

Mei held the ring in his fist as he unfolded the letter with his other hand.  His eyes scanned the page, ignoring the way the others craned their necks to try and get a good look.

_‘My Dearest Mei,_

_I hope this letter finds you well.  I will not begin with such boasts as, ‘I am your number one fan’ or ‘No one loves you more than I do,’ because I feel such empty praises do not adequately describe the depth of my affection._

_My feelings go beyond mere love or adoration._

_I have been following you since your Inashiro days and from the moment your eyes met mine, even though I was in a crowd of people, I knew that you’d truly seen me.  My body was humming with electricity at the intensity of your stare.  Your blue eyes, like sapphires, shimmering with heat._

_I knew at that moment I had to have you.’_

“Had to have you?” Toudou must have managed to read that part.  “Looks like Miya-chan’s got himself a stalker, you guys.”

“A stalker?” Mei tore his eyes away from the page and looked up at them, already unsettled by the depth of this person’s supposed feelings, but now the idea that he might be a stalker made his stomach drop.

“Oh, it’s no big deal,” Kise said, waving a hand in dismissal.  “I’ve got seven of them as it is.” The blond model puffed his chest out proudly. “Number Six-kun tried to get me to pose nude for him, though…”

Kise plucked the letter from his hands and quickly read the rest of it before Mei even had a chance.

“Oh.” Golden eyes widened. “This is…unhealthy.”

“Give me that.” Mei snatched the paper back and read further down.  Suddenly, he came across a sentence that jumped out at him, a phrase that caused the rest of the words to blur on the page and his blood to turn to ice.

_‘The mere thought of you spread beneath me, your beautiful pale skin stained red as we move together, your voice breaking as I take you with me to heaven-’_

“…the hell?” Mei found himself saying, his hand suddenly beginning to shake.

Kisumi and Oikawa exchanged glances and Toudou grabbed the letter, reading it aloud, his voice cutting out as he reached the end.

“Miya-chan, this-”

“Don’t let it worry you,” Oikawa interrupted, placing a gentle hand on Mei’s shoulder. “He can’t get you.”

“Tooru’s right,” Kisumi agreed. “It’s just a letter.”

They were right.  It was just a piece of paper. The person clearly was unable to meet him in person and, considering he’d been his fan since high school, he’d had ample opportunity to do so.

He was fine.

He was okay.

“So, the ring’s nice, though,” Kise said, obviously trying to ease the tension. “Are you going to keep it?”

Mei opened his fist and stared down at the golden hoop.

“Probably not,” he said. “Rings never fit me right.”

“Cuz your fingers are so chubby?” Toudou asked in a teasing tone, offering a smile that made Mei feel like things were still normal.

“No.” He glared up at him. “I took a line drive to my pitching hand my third year and jammed these three fingers pretty bad.” He wiggled his middle, ring, and pinkie fingers.  “Now I’m like a weird size or something,” he explained. “They’re either too tight or too loose and always the wrong shape.”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to try it,” Kisumi said. “You can always get it resized if you like it.”

Honestly, Mei wanted to throw the thing out.  He didn’t want to keep a gift from a stalker.

Still, he could at least try it on.

He placed it on his finger and gasped.

“It fits.” He turned frightened eyes up at the others.  “Why does it fit?”

His hand was shaking.  Why did the man know his ring size? He never wore rings.

It shouldn’t have been so shocking, but the perfect fit paired with the strange letter had him on edge.  He tried to pull the ring off, but it got stuck on his knuckle, causing his chest to constrict.

“It…it won’t come off.” Mei panicked, voice wavering. “Get it off!”

“Shh, hey.” Oikawa was beside him, taking his left hand in his and smoothing a thumb over his knuckles in a soothing fashion. “Calm down. It’s okay.”

Mei felt stupid.  It was just a ring.  It’s not like putting it on meant he’d accepted his stalker’s feelings.

He just wanted the damn thing off.

“Here.” Kisumi reached over and helped Oikawa remove the ring.

“See?” The brunet gave his hand a squeeze. “It’s off.”

“Thank you, Oikawa-san.” Mei was grateful the ring was off, but he felt embarrassed.  He was no stranger to tantrums, but this pain in his chest and inability to breathe was new.

“What do you want to do with this?” Kisumi asked, holding up the ring.

“It would really be a waste to throw it away…” Kise offered.

“If you like it, you can have it,” Mei said, running a hand through his hair. “Just don’t tell Kasamatsu-san that it’s from a fan.”

“Oh, Kasamatsucchi is used to me getting gifts from my fans.” Kise accepted the ring when Kisumi held it out to him and placed it on his finger.  “Ooh, it’s a little loose.”

“Chubby fingers.” Toudou said, pursing his lips and looking up and to the right.

Mei shot a glare in his direction anyway.

That night, they were all on the bus, making their way to their next location for their tour.  Everyone was asleep except for Mei.

He stared out the window as the lights from the city whizzed by, the dark silhouettes of the trees zooming past.  From across the aisle, he heard Toudou murmur something in his sleep before turning over and snoring softly.

Mei was tired.  He envied the rest of the band's ability to sleep anywhere.  Normally, he could manage, but not tonight.  Not with that letter fresh in his mind.

_‘The mere thought of you spread beneath me, your beautiful pale skin stained red…’_

What did he mean ‘stained red.’  It sounded like the guy had been alluding to sex, but something sounded off.

“And why did the ring fit?” he whispered, glancing over the back of his seat at Kise, who was cuddled up against his bag, the ring still hanging loosely on his finger, and Kasamatsu’s jacket over him like a blanket.  The jacket’s owner was across the aisle, thick brows drawn down over tightly shut eyes as he flipped over, trying to get comfortable in his seat.

Mei looked at the ring again, the crimson stone catching the light as they drove under a streetlamp.

The others had said he couldn’t get him and that it was just a letter, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t be the last he’d heard from the man who signed his letter simply,

_‘Your Destiny’_

The next morning, they arrived in Tottori.  This would be their longest trip.  The rest of the traveling would be from prefecture to prefecture until they returned to Tokyo.

Kisumi and Asahi were the first up, waking the others in their excitement of being near their hometowns.

Mei, who’d barely fallen asleep, was jarred awake.  He blinked painfully tired eyes and opened his mouth before immediately closing it.  It felt like it was full of sand and he was sure his breath was rancid.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Toudou greeted from across the aisle.  “You look-”

“Don’t start.” Mei held a hand up and pulled himself out of his seat, stretching his legs and feeling his back give a satisfying pop.  “When’s rehearsal?” he asked, knowing that Toudou just had to say _something_ and it might as well be something useful.

“We’re headed to breakfast first,” the dark-haired man began, giving their entire schedule for the day, “Then we have staging and first mic check before lunch…”

Mei let him keep going, his eyes wandering the empty seats of the bus.  Kisumi and Asahi had run off as soon as the driver opened the doors.  Oikawa, Kise, and Kasamatsu must have followed after them.

He heard voices behind him and jumped, not realizing that he and Toudou weren’t alone.

“Really, I’m fine, Seiichi,” the man with short, dark hair said.  He played the keyboard for DIVER and also sang harmonies, but Mei knew him from before then.  Matsubara Nao had been the manager for Ugumori High School and, although Inashiro’s defeat was years ago, Mei still hadn’t forgotten.

“I’m not leaving you,” the other man, Umemiya Seiichi, said with a pout.  He was their drummer.

“The driver is bringing my chair around back.” Nao reached up and touched the brunet’s cheek so tenderly, Mei felt like he was seeing something he shouldn’t. “Go and see if Yukio needs help with the luggage.”

“Alright,” Umemiya conceded, leaning down at giving the other man kiss. “But I’ll get you next time.”

Mei turned when he saw Toudou whip his head toward the couple.  The blond furrowed his brow and watched as Toudou’s eyes followed Umemiya off the bus.

“What?” Mei asked, eyeing the older man.

“I just…thought I heard…” Toudou shook his head. “He just sounded familiar.” He laughed and stood up. “Shall we disembark?” he asked and then pointed at Mei. “You need to have a proper breakfast if we’re going to perform our best tonight.”

Mei rolled his eyes and smacked Toudou’s hand away.

“Hey!”

“Let’s go get breakfast,” the blond said.  He followed Toudou toward the front of the bus, glancing back at Nao as the other man sat, waiting patiently for the driver to assist him.

Blocking wasn’t difficult.  The stage was set up similarly to their last venue, so it was easy to do a quick run-through, only having to make minimal adjustments.

“Great job, everyone,” Kasamatsu said, standing with his hands on his hips.  “We’ve got a break, but we’ll reconvene at thirteen hundred for lunch…”

Mei stopped listening when Kise nudged his arm.

“Doesn’t Kasamatsucchi sound cool?” the other blond asked.

“Uh, yeah.” Mei figured it was just easier to agree with him.

They were all back in the dressing room when they heard a knock on the door.  Toudou made to get up, but Oikawa was already there, the two of them obviously hoping that the roadies had finished their work and were on break as well, but their faces fell when the brunet opened the door.

“Masa-san.” Mei sat up on the couch, removing his head from Toudou’s lap and feeling his heart flutter.  He coughed to stop the palpitations and stood up, crossing the room to greet their head of security.  “What’s up?” he asked coolly, ignoring the teasing gestures his fellow group members were undoubtedly making behind him.

“I wanted to make sure you were all comfortable,” the taller man said, giving a small smile.

“We’re _very_ comfortable, Masa-chan,” Toudou answered from the couch and Mei didn’t have to turn around to know he was taking up all of it in the blond’s absence.

“We’re fine,” Mei said and felt his heart skip a beat as Masa’s smile widened.

“That’s good to hear.”

They stood there in silence for a moment until Oikawa spoke.

“Was there anything else, Masa-chan?” he asked.

“Oh, yes.” The taller man’s cheeks tinted as he held a box out to Mei. “Another package arrived for you.”

Mei stared at it, suddenly remembering the note and its weird message.

“I don’t want it,” he said.

“Ooh, but what if it’s more jewelry?” Kise asked from his chair beside Kisumi, both of them on their cellphones, obviously texting their boyfriends, who were called back early to check the acoustics again.

“Then you can have it.” Mei growled, getting frustrated.  Didn’t they see the letter?  Didn’t they understand that this guy was a weirdo?  He didn’t want anything that man had to give.

“If you want me to throw it away-” Masa began, but Toudou was already off the couch and taking the package from his large hands.

“No need for that, Masa-chan.” Toudou beamed. “We’ll dispose of it if it’s something boring.”

“If you’re sure.” But Masa was looking at Mei. 

“It’s fine.” The blond sighed.  Toudou had already skipped over to the vanity and sat down on a stool, looking like a kid at Christmas. “Toudou never receives gifts from his own fans.”

“I heard that!” The Ira-Idol shot a glare over at him and Mei laughed, feeling a little better.

Masa nodded and turned to leave, but he was blocked by Iwaizumi and Arakita coming to visit during their break.  Oikawa had barely gotten out his greeting, when Toudou screamed.

They all turned to face him, Arakita shoving Masa to the side to get into the room.

Toudou turned wide eyes toward them, his whole body shaking.  He’d opened the package and he was covered in blood.

“Jinpachi!” Arakita ran over to him, gripping his shoulders and looking him in the eye.  “Jinpachi, are you hurt?”

“Y-Yas-su…” He couldn’t get the words out.

“Baby, please,” Arakita begged, running his hands along his boyfriend’s arms and neck to make sure he wasn’t injured, smearing the splatters of blood.

“I’m f-fine.” Toudou trembled. “It was j-just the box.”

The rest ran over to join them, Mei pushing his way to the front.  Inside the box was an exploding blood packet, like the ones used in horror films.  Next to it was a note addressed to Mei and written in the same handwriting as the other.

_‘If only I could see how you look right now, My Dearest. Painted in your signature red._

_Soon.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This. Is. Serious.
> 
> I hope our precious babies will be alright!
> 
> Also, about Toudou thinking Umemiya sounded familiar. Umemiya is voiced by the same person who voices Makishima, so his Maki-chan senses must have been tingling, haha.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I LIED! This is going to be three chapters long because I just finished chapter two and it's twice as long as chapter one, so...gonna split it.  
> But it's all already written!  
> I'll have the final part edited and up tomorrow night~
> 
> Please enjoy~
> 
> And thanks again to my beta, indevan!!

After the fake blood packet incident, security around SPICE was doubled and their handshake event following their evening performance was cancelled.  Toudou was flouncing around, making his usual gestures and remarks, but Mei could tell that he was still shaken up.

The blond looked over at the vanity.  The mess had been cleaned up, but there were still stains on the white counter.  He thought back to the note inside the package.

_‘Soon.’_

What was soon?  Was his stalker coming for him?

He shuddered and it didn’t go unnoticed by the other members.

“Mei-Mei.” Kisumi walked over and sat beside him on the couch. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Just a little tired.”  He saw Kisumi and Oikawa exchange glances, but he didn’t have the energy to be snarky.  Besides, they were just worried about him.

They were probably about to say something else, but a knock on the door cut them off.

“I’ll get it.” Oikawa crossed the room and answered.  “Oh, Yukio-chan.”

Kasamatsu, along with the rest of DIVER, shuffled into the room, sweaty with faces flushed from performing their second encore.

“Kasamatsucchi!” Kise ran over to him and, for once, the shorter man didn’t push him away.

It seemed as though the terrifying package had affected everyone.

Asahi was next, rushing in and bending over the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around Kisumi’s shoulders and pressing a kiss to his temple.

Mei turned and saw Umemiya and Nao still in the doorway, speaking in hushed tones, the brunet gently cupping Nao’s cheek and bumping their foreheads together.  They broke apart and Mei averted his eyes, but no matter where he looked, he saw couples consoling each other.

The door didn’t even have a chance to swing shut before Iwaizumi and Arakita were pushing it back open, the latter’s dark eyes searching the room before settling on Toudou, a look of relief washing over his face.

The entire mood of the tour had shifted and Mei longed for their bickering and petty arguments.  Anything was better than the general sense of unease hanging in the air like thick fog.

Suddenly, the room felt stifling, each of the couples in their own world, their protective bubbles expanding around each other and choking Mei.

He just wanted to get out of there.

But he felt the air clear as a deep, familiar voice broke through the sweet murmurs.

“The cars have arrived.” It was Masa, his earnest face pinched with worry.  Though, perhaps others wouldn’t have noticed much of a change, he still looked professional, but Mei could see it.

Their next show was a venue not far from this one and so they were spending the night in a hotel.  The tour bus was undergoing maintenance as planned, recovering from the long drive the night before.

“Each car will have three of my men inside,” Masa explained. “Once we arrive at the hotel, they will take turns patrolling the hallways and standing guard at your doors.”

“Thank you, Harada-san,” Kasamatsu said, an arm still around Kise’s middle.

“I’ve also spoken with our travel agent and have arranged for a different block of rooms,” Masa continued.  “In addition, my men will be keeping an eye on the previous rooms we reserved in case the culprit decides to make his move tonight.”

Mei’s head swam.  This was really happening.  This was serious.  The room began to spin around him and blinked his eyes rapidly to keep from losing his balance.

“What about the room assignments, Harada-san?” Iwaizumi asked, one of his arms wrapped around Oikawa’s waist in a protective manner.

“We-”

“I’m not leaving Jinpachi alone tonight,” Arakita interrupted him, surprising everyone in the room, Toudou included.  “I know you’ve got us covered, but I’d feel better if I was with him.”

“Yasutomo…” the shorter man looked up at his boyfriend and Mei knew he was going to cry, so he looked away.

“I understand that,” Masa said. “Because of the circumstances, your manager has agreed to let you room together, as long as my men are there to chaperone.”

Mei could see the way Iwaizumi relaxed at that and knew that Arakita had done the same. It wasn’t as if they were looking to fool around, it was more of a comfort thing than anything else.

Normally, Mei would roll his eyes and make a gagging motion, but he didn’t.  He understood.  They felt safest together.

“The room assignments are as follows.” Masa took out a piece of paper and began reading aloud.  “Room 305, Shiina and Shigino with Umemiya and Matsubara…”

He continued reading off the sheet, but Mei wasn’t listening.  He kept thinking back to earlier when Toudou had opened the package meant for him.  He was supposed to be the one covered in fake blood.

Did this fan of his wish to cover him in real blood?  And whose?  Mei’s?  His own?

It made the blond’s stomach churn.

“And because of the seriousness of the situation, I’ll be personally keeping watch over Narumiya-kun.”

Masa was being professional, Mei knew, but the sound of the larger man using his last name as though they weren’t close stung, distracting him from his dark thoughts.

Later, when everyone had filed out of the room behind their chaperones, leaving only Masa and Mei, the taller man walked over and took a seat beside him on the couch.  The blond could see two more security guards just outside the door, ready to escort them to their car.

“Mei, I,” Masa began, putting a large hand on the blond’s shoulder.  It was warm and Mei could practically feel the rough, calloused skin through his thin t-shirt.  “I promise I will keep you safe.”

Mei looked up at him then, staring into those earnest dark brown eyes of his.

“Ma-”

“Harada-san,” one of the men in the hallway interrupted them. “They’re ready for us to move Narumiya-san.”

Move him. Like he was something precious that needed constant protection. Like an ancient artifact or some priceless piece of artwork. Like he wasn’t a person at all. It made Mei sick to his stomach, but when Masa’s hand slipped off his shoulder, sliding down his arm to take his hand in his, the nausea disappeared.

The others all had to share their rooms, four people on two large double beds.  Mei and Masa’s room was the same, but it was just the two of them.  He was separated from them, in case his crazed fan somehow managed to find him, they didn’t want the others getting hurt.

The mere thought sent a violent shudder through Mei’s body.

“Are you cold?” Masa asked. He was seated on the other bed, still wearing his suit and headset.

Mei didn’t answer.

There was another security guard right outside of their door and several more patrolling the halls.  Mei’s eyes drifted over to the drapes just beside his bed.

“I should take the one closest to the window,” Masa said, standing up and walking over to Mei.  “Would you like to take a shower and soak in the tub?”

That sounded good.  Mei was sore from the concert and from how tightly wound he’d been since the incident.

“Yeah,” he answered, voice sounding surprisingly weak, even to his own ears.

“I’ll stand guard by the door,” Masa promised and Mei felt a twinge of frustration.

How dare that stalking bastard make him feel this way! Scared and helpless.  And now he was getting upset with Masa because the man wanted to protect him.

He didn’t want to need to be protected.

“Thank you,” Mei said, instead of something snotty.  He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the covers and moving to unbutton his jeans.

“Mei…”

He turned and saw that Masa was looking away, but he could see that the tips of his ears were red and his high cheekbones were dusted light pink.  The taller man was still sitting on the bed, his fingers toying with a loose thread of the comforter beneath him.

Back at Inashiro, they’d changed in front of each other all the time.  It was just part of being on the same team and sharing a locker room.  But it had been a few years since then and their relationship had changed.

They were no longer a battery.  They were two men working for the same company, Mei as an idol and Masa as their head of security.  But they were still together, weren’t they?  Not in the way that Toudou and the others so often implied, but, deep down, Mei had always wondered why Masa had taken this job.  He could have gone pro or, if security was his passion, he could have gotten a job at a bank or a large company in Tokyo.

“Masa-san,” he finally replied, fingers hovering just above the fly of his pants as the taller man turned to look at him. “Why are you here?”

He expected the obvious answer:  ‘Because you need to be protected.’  Or maybe, ‘It’s my job to keep all of the band members safe.’ But he was not at all ready for what Masa said, those damn earnest eyes of his staring into Mei’s.

“Because if anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

Mei sucked in a breath, his heart skipping a beat.  He licked his lips, which were feeling dry all of a sudden.

“Why?” he managed to get out, eyes unable to look away from Masa’s.

“Mei.” Masa brought one of his large hands up and brushed the backs of his thick fingers along Mei’s cheek and jaw.  “You must know how important you are to me,” he breathed, thick brows knitting together.

And Mei lost it.

It could have been the years of pining or the months of accidental touches, hands brushing, shoulders bumping, electricity sparking at the sensation, over all too quickly for Mei’s liking, leaving him breathless with heat pooling in his belly.  Or it could have been the incident from today, making him realize that he didn't have forever.

Whichever reason, he lunged forward, hands gripping the sides of Masa’s head as he crushed their lips together, earning a startled gasp from the taller man.  He took the opportunity to slide his tongue into the other’s mouth, tentatively rubbing it against Masa’s before pulling back to suck on his lower lip.

“Mei…” Masa grunted, moving his hands to rest on the blond’s hips, his thick, calloused thumbs brushing against the smooth skin there.

“Masa-san.” He pushed forward, straddling him on the bed, his knees sinking into the mattress as he continued his assault on Masa’s lips, dragging his teeth over the sensitive skin and sinking them into the plump flesh of his bottom lip, eliciting a low moan from the other man.

“Mei.” They broke apart, both gasping for breath. Masa's face was flushed and his eyes were glazed, his pupils blown, and Mei knew he looked the same.  It was impossible to hide a blush with his fair skin.  “Mei.” Masa swallowed, one of his large hands moving to cup the blond’s cheek. “We can’t.”

“Why not?” Mei asked, breathless and slightly annoyed. “Everyone else does it.”

Mei realized his mistake when he saw the hurt flicker in the other man’s eyes.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mei said quickly. “It’s not because I’m jealous of them.”

Masa was quiet, giving him a chance to finish.

“For a long time, Masa-san, I…” he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed and realizing he was half naked and straddling the taller man’s hips.  “I do know how important I am to you,” he said.  “But it’s time you knew how important you are to me.”

“Mei…”

“I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer."  He pushed Masa onto his back, keeping him still with one small hand on the other’s broad chest.  He licked his lips again, this time for a different reason.  “Let me show you, okay?”

Mei was glad that the walls of this hotel were thick and that the door was mostly sound proof, though he didn’t really think about that until after.  He was too preoccupied with the man in his bed, suddenly above him, those large hands of his roaming his body, his thick fingers spreading him open, and those lips of his pushing him over the edge.

They didn’t go all the way. Not yet. Not when they’d only just confessed.

Still, Mei was sated, curled up against Masa, his head on the larger man’s chest, feeling those strong arms around him.  He felt safe and warm and, despite his earlier qualms with the word, protected.

 

The next morning, Mei was awoken by a kiss to his forehead.  His eyes fluttered open and he saw Masa standing beside the bed, a smile on his face.  Mei was disappointed to see that the other man was already showered and dressed, but he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, so he was glad Masa had let him sleep in, even if that meant he didn’t get to take advantage of what little alone time they had.

They didn’t talk much about what happened the night before, but Masa took his hand as they walked to the cars and didn’t let go, even when they ran into the others.  They did break apart, however, when Masa had to gather his men together to brief them on their schedule for the day.  A few stayed behind, though, as he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Last night was great.” Toudou hummed happily as the members of SPICE walked down a long hallway toward the dressing room in the next venue.  They were being led by one of Masa’s men and two more flanked them with a fourth bringing up the rear.

“Unexpected Iwa-chan cuddles are the best,” Oikawa agreed.

“Too bad we had to share rooms,” Kisumi lamented and then paused to smile as they passed DIVER, the other men heading toward the stage for sound check.

“Yeah,” Kise sighed.

“But you know who _didn’t_ have to share a room,” Toudou began, a wicked smile on his lips.

It seemed _he_ was back to normal.

“So.” He wrapped an arm around Mei’s shoulders. “Did you finally ride that pony?”

“Jinpachi-chan!” Oikawa gasped, affronted. “That’s no way to speak about our head of security.”

Mei was about to thank him, but the brunet continued and, honestly, he should have seen it coming.

“Masa-chan is really more like a bucking bronco, than a pony,” he paused, “right, Mei-chan?”

“Could you not?” The blond sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands.

He could only imagine how bad the teasing would get once they all found out that he and Masa _had_ gotten together last night.

The guard in front of them came to a stop.  They’d reached their destination.  He stepped to the side, a hand coming up to his earpiece as he received a message.

Mei, in a desperate attempt to get away from the barrage of questions coming his way from his lack of answers thus far, pushed the door open and walked into the dressing room.  He flipped on the lights and froze.

Toudou bumped into his back and whined.

“Miya-chan, why did you-” but he stopped, eyes following the blond’s gaze.

The dressing room mirror was splattered with red.  There was a poster of Mei taped to it with the eyes punched out and big red letters above which read, _‘SLUT.’_

“Miya-chan, it’s okay.” He heard Toudou’s voice, but it sounded muffled, like he was in a bubble.

The room spun around him, the only thing in focus was his smiling face, the black holes of his eyes staring back at him from the poster, and the insult, still dripping.  He couldn’t breathe.  Black spots were appearing before him and the edges of his vision were growing dark.

“Miya-chan?”

He took a stuttering step forward and then he was falling.

“Miya-chan!”

Everything went black.

When Mei woke up, he was in a different room.  It looked like the other and he quickly sat up to check the mirror, but the blood rushed to his head and he felt dizzy again.

“Hey, take it easy.” Oikawa was beside him.

“What happened?” he croaked, his throat feeling unbelievably dry.

“You fainted,” Kisumi said from behind him.

“Toudoucchi caught you and didn’t leave your side until we got help.” Kise smiled from his perch at the end of the couch Mei was on.

“Don’t tell him that.” Toudou’s face was bright pink.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Jinpachi-chan.” Oikawa grinned. “That was very heroic.”

If possible, the dark-haired man’s face burned brighter.

“Thank you,” Mei found himself saying before he could stop it.  Toudou turned wide violet eyes on him, his elegant eyebrows shooting up.

“You’re…welcome.” He blinked in surprise.

The blond thought back to the scene he’d walked into and how he was glad the other man had been there to catch him.

“Is…” Mei began, swallowing back the bile that threatened to rise. “Is the mess cleaned up?”

“They relocated us immediately, so I’m not sure,” Kisumi admitted.

There was a knock at the door and they all turned to face it.

“Come in,” Oikawa called.

Mei nearly wept when he saw Masa walk in, but he kept himself together.  He wanted to run to him, to have the taller man wrap him up in those strong arms and hold him against his large body, but he held back.

“Mei…” he began, dark brown eyes searching the blond’s face.

“I’m okay.” He answered the question the other man didn’t need to ask.

“It was the same guy.” He held up a plastic bag with a note inside. “The police are involved now.” Which explained why it looked like he was holding evidence. “But before I hand this over, I wanted you to take a look at it. They may question you and I don’t want it to come as a shock.”

Mei could have laughed.  Like anything could shock him now.

Still, he held his hand out and took the bag, eyes scanning the letter inside.

_‘My Dearest Mei,_

_I apologize for the state of your dressing room.  You see, sometimes it is difficult to control my anger.  But you must understand how hurt I was by your betrayal.’_

“Betrayal?” Oikawa asked, looking at Mei.  “What’s he talking about?”

“He’s clearly delusional,” Toudou said before Mei had a chance.

“He’s a real creep,” Kise added.

_‘I have been very patiently waiting, but I simply cannot wait any longer. I must see you. I must feel your skin beneath mine._

_I must wash away your sin._

_Only then can we truly be together._

_Eternally yours,_

_Your Destiny’_

Mei felt like he was going to throw up.  This man knew he’d been with Masa.  He’d somehow already found out.  He hadn’t told anyone and, a quick glance up at the taller man confirmed that he, too, had kept their night to himself.

So…who?

“He’s disgusting.” Kisumi pulled back and made a face. “I hope the police catch him soon.”

“I agree.” Masa took the letter back. “But, until they do, I’ve called in more of my men.”

“Thank you, Masa-chan,” Oikawa said. “We feel a lot safer with you around.”

“I only wish we’d been able to catch him before he got into the building.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that,” Kise said, eyes wide. “You were busy making sure we made it here safely. There was no way to know he’d come here.”

“But I should have-”

“Masa-san,” Mei cut him off. “I’m fine. You’re doing a great job.”

“Mei…”

“Harada-san,” one of his men called from the hall. “The police chief is here to see you.”

Masa hesitated and Mei shook his head.

“Go.”

The taller man nodded and then walked into the hallway.

Even though the other members insisted that it was fine if he didn’t feel up to it, Mei wanted to perform.  They couldn’t let their fans down and he was fine, physically, anyway.

The show went off without a hitch.  The crowd stayed corralled and, despite the security staff that Mei could see out of the corner of his eye no matter which way he was facing, it felt pretty normal.

That night they were scheduled to have a handshake event.  Masa tried to argue that they should skip it, but since they’d cancelled the last one, their manager went ahead with it, only agreeing that Mei shouldn’t go.

So, Mei watched as the other four members, along with DIVER, left him behind and walked toward a meeting room on the other side of the concert hall.

As the head of security, Masa accompanied them, but he left six of his men behind to stay with Mei.  The blond thought it was overkill, but agreed to it.  He was tired from the show and all the stress and didn’t want to fight him.

He sat down on the couch and tipped over, letting his head hit the overstuffed arm.  He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Mei woke up with a start as his fellow group members shook him awake.

“They got him!” Toudou said excitedly.

“Huh?” Mei blinked, trying to wake up fully.  “Got who?”

“Who, he says.” The older man snorted. “Your stalker! They caught him!”

“They…did?” He was wide awake now. “How?”

“He was at the handshake event,” Kisumi explained.

“After Kasamatsucchi announced that you weren’t going to be there, this guy started screaming,” Kise said, golden eyes wide.

“He pushed his way to the front and kept saying how he’d been denied meeting you twice and he demanded that he get you alone!” Toudou said, still excited. “Masa-chan tackled him to the ground and the police arrested him right away.”

“He had a bunch of red paint markers on him, so they put two and two together.” Oikawa smiled.

“They really got him?” Mei asked, hoping it was all over.

“They got him.” Toudou beamed and gave him a hug.

Mei let himself be embraced, too overwhelmed to bring his arms up to hold the other man.  He was so relieved.  It was over.

It was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler: No, it's not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The conclusion~  
> I can't believe I wrote so much for this one. I mean, I'm usually the least comfortable writing Daiya fics because I'm not as familiar with the characters, but, apparently, I'm all about MasaMei or something.
> 
> Thanks again, indevan, for being my beta and making sure I wrote everyone okay.

Everyone was in high spirits the following morning as they rode the bus to their next venue.  Kise was chatting animatedly with Kasamatsu.  And Toudou was leaning against the window, a phone to his ear.  Mei couldn’t tell if he was calling his best friend long-distance or if he was talking to Arakita on the bus behind them.

They arrived early and Mei was glad.  He wanted as much relaxing time on their room’s couch as he could get.  He hated riding the bus, even if it was for a short while.  He much preferred lounging comfortably on his back.

But when they got off the bus, Mei told the others to go on ahead after he spotted a familiar pair of broad shoulders.

Masa was busy talking to some of his men, whose numbers had not dwindled despite the police catching the guy.

“Masa-san.” Mei walked up to him. “Relax.” He smiled, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers.  The taller man dismissed the other guards.

“I can’t relax.” He said, dark brown eyes darting from left to right.  Mei had slept in the hotel room with Toudou the night before since Masa ended up spending most of the evening at the police station, probably being asked a litany of questions because he was the one who’d apprehended Mei’s stalker.

“They caught the guy.” The blond furrowed his brow. “I’m safe now.”

“My job is to _keep_ you safe.” Masa turned to face him. “I can’t afford to rest on my laurels.”

“Honestly, I’m fi-”

“You’re _not_ fine!” Masa shouted and Mei pulled his hand away, bringing it to his chest. “I’m not satisfied that we’ve got him.”

“You did!” Mei snapped back. “You tackled him yourself, didn’t you?”

“I don’t think he’s the guy.” The taller man rubbed his temples. “Something’s not adding up.”

“You’re just paranoid,” Mei said, putting a small hand on his bicep. “It’s good for your line of work, but you don’t have to worry about me all the time.”

“I will never stop worrying about you.” Masa said, voice low. “Last night was rough, not being able to keep an eye on you.”

Keep an eye on him?

“I don’t need a babysitter,” the blond hissed, offended. “You’re my lover-”

“And I’m your bodyguard first,” Masa barked and Mei took a step back. The blond noticed how red the other man’s eyes were.  He was sure he hadn’t gotten any sleep, but even so.

“You’re treating me like a child, Masa-”

“Then stop acting like one!” He held his arms out, his thick brows drawn down over bloodshot eyes. “Don’t you realize the danger you were in?”

“Oh, how stupid of me!” Mei balled his fists at his sides. “Please enlighten me, won’t you? This poor, helpless child needs your guidance.”

“Mei, I didn’t me-”

“Save it.” Mei glared. “I’m going inside.”

He stomped off, knowing he was being immature, but too pissed to care.

Masa had caught the guy. They had nothing to worry about.  And Mei had slept in a bed by himself the night before...

The blond had let the others go ahead so he could hopefully talk to the other man more about their relationship. And what did he get? A lecture?

Mei grumbled as he walked into the venue.  All concert halls were similar, so it shouldn’t have been difficult to find the room the others were in.

Unfortunately, he got himself lost.  He walked past vendors setting up their food carts and merchandise stands.  The smell of popcorn made his stomach growl, but he knew they had lunch waiting for him in the room.

He was about to give up and call Toudou for help, when he spotted a familiar face. Well, two of them, actually.  Umemiya and Nao were just a few feet away.  The brunet was frowning down at the dark-haired man, who was patting his shoulder in a placating manner.

“Go and get some popcorn if you want it.” He heard Nao say as he walked closer to them.

“But it’s not ready on this floor yet.” Umemiya’s frown deepened. “And the elevators are locked.”

“So? Just run up the stairs,” Nao suggested.

“And leave you here?” He threw his arms out, eyes wide. “Are you kidding?”

“I’m not helpless, Seiichi.” Nao drew his brows down.

Mei didn’t want to eavesdrop on a fight, so he cleared his throat to make his presence known.

“Oh, Narumiya-kun.” Nao angled his wheelchair so he was facing him. “What are you doing here?”

“I, er,” Mei felt his cheeks burn. “I got lost.”

“This place is a bit of a maze.” The dark-haired man offered him a smile.  He turned back toward Umemiya. “Go get your popcorn.”

“But Nao-”

“I won’t be by myself.” He sighed, fingers gripping the push rings of his chair. “Narumiya-kun will keep me company.” He glanced over at Mei and the blond nodded.

“Okay…” The brunet looked at Mei and then turned back toward Nao. “I’ll be right back.” He bent down and kissed the other man before running up the stairs.  Mei’s eyes followed his form until he disappeared.

“How are you feeling, Narumiya-kun?” Nao asked.

“I’m fine and quit it with that polite crap,” he said. “How many years have you known me? Call me Mei.”

“Very well.” The other man grinned. “Then please call me Nao.” He chuckled. “Though, knowing _of_ someone and knowing someone are two different things.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Mei sighed and sat on the bench beside his wheelchair.

“It’s frustrating, isn’t it?” Nao asked suddenly, side eyeing him. “When they’re so overprotective, I mean.”

Mei knew that Nao was observant.  He was smart, too.

“Yeah. A real pain in the ass.” Mei glowered, thinking of how Masa had made him feel like he was weak.  A fragile thing that needed protection.  A child.

“But, you know,” Nao continued. “They only do it because they love us.”

Mei scoffed and shook his head.

“How long have you been holding that one in?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Since I got off the bus.” Nao smiled at him. “I didn’t stick around to see you storm off, but I had a feeling.”

“You’re pretty smart, you know that?” Mei returned the smile.

“I have some idea of my intelligence, yes.” Nao snickered. “Go make up with him,” he continued. “I’m sure Harada-san wants to apologize as well.”

Mei took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh.

“You’re probably right,” he said and stood up. “Now, if I only knew where the hell I was.”

As if on cue, one of Masa’s men came up to him, dressed in the standard guard attire with a lanyard hanging from his neck.

“Narumiya-san,” he greeted, voice surprisingly soft for the rigidity of his stance. “Harada-san is looking for you.”

“How's that for timing?” Nao offered.

“Are you sure it’s alright if I leave you alone?” Mei asked Nao, glancing up the stairs. “I don’t want Ume-chan mad at me.”

“Let me handle him.” The dark-haired man rolled his eyes. “Now hurry up before we have to go to sound check.”

Mei nodded and turned back toward the security guard.

“Can you take me to him?” he asked, not wanting to admit he was lost, but trying to play it off like he wasn’t sure where Masa might be at that moment.

“Of course,” the man said. “Follow me, please.”

Mei walked behind the other man, his thoughts drifting back to his fight with Masa.  Well, it wasn’t a fight, really, but he’d exploded, just like he always did.  He hoped he could get away with a simple apology or, more likely, Masa was probably planning on apologizing to him.

The blond would take _some_ of the blame, though.

He noticed that the security guard was taking several turns.  This place really was like a maze. Mei just hoped that Masa would be able to lead him back to the others.  He couldn’t remember how many lefts or rights they’d taken and in what order.

Mei looked up at the man leading him.  He was young and he looked more like an idol than he did a body guard.  He was lithe with long limbs.  Mei would have to get his name and give it to Kise.  The other blond was always looking for new models for his agency – it took some of the pressure off of him so he could continue to perform with them.

They continued walking for another few minutes before Mei started to notice that there were no other people around.

“Uh, hey,” he called, getting his escort’s attention.  “Is it much farther?”

“We’re almost there.” The other man turned to face him.  Mei glanced down at the ID at the end of his lanyard, but when he looked, it was facing the wrong direction.  On the man’s next step, the plastic case spun around, but the picture on the ID didn’t match his escort’s youthful face.  It was someone else, one of the other guards Mei had seen before, an older man with a full beard.

“Hey, you’re wearing the wrong-”

“We’re here.” The taller man smiled and opened a door for him.  It was dark inside and Mei felt like something was off.

“On second thought,” he began, taking a step back, “I think I’ll just head to the green room.”

“Now, now, we mustn’t keep people waiting.” The man grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind them.

The fluorescent lights flickered on and it took a moment for Mei’s eyes to adjust.  He was in a large storage area where they kept the extra wooden acoustic panels for the venue.

“Alone at last.”

Mei turned to face the other man.

“Though, I almost lost you at the end there, didn’t I?” He cocked his head to the side.

“Who are you?” Mei asked, feeling his pulse quicken and his stomach drop.

“Have you forgotten me, My Dearest?” He gave an icy smile and Mei felt a shiver run up his spine. 

No.  This didn’t make any sense.  They’d caught his stalker.  He was some shabby-looking, half-crazed man.  The man before him, despite his eerie smile, looked normal, attractive even.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he said as if he could read Mei's mind. "To think the police thought that man was me." He shook his head. "Aren't they aware of your popularity? Of the fact that you have many fans longing to meet you?"

Mei swallowed, trying to process the information. The man they'd arrested was just some fan. A little unstable, but probably harmless.

Masa's uneasiness hadn't been unfounded.

“I must say I’m disappointed,” the man continued. “Why haven’t you been wearing my gift?” He pulled something out of his pocket and it glinted in the light.  It was the ring.  “Instead, you gave it to that talentless sow.”

Mei's eyes widened.  Had he hurt Kise?  Was the other man alright?

“Not to worry.” His captor turned the ring over in his hands. “That model left it in a box with the other baubles he’s been given. Like it was just another piece of jewelry-”

“What do you want?” Mei asked, voice shaking.

“I want you to wear my ring.” He held it out to him. “It is a symbol of our love.”

Mei strode forward and snatched it out of the man’s hand, quickly slipping it onto his finger.  Despite how cool the metal was, he could practically feel it burning against his flesh.  I felt wrong.

“There! Happy now?” he asked, eyes darting over to the door.

“Quite happy.” The man walked toward him and held a hand out, the tips of his fingers barely grazing Mei’s cheek before the blond flinched away.  "It fits perfectly," he said with a contented sigh, his cheeks flushing. "You have no idea the number of your costume gloves I had to borrow in order to get the right size, checking the wear to ensure it was the exact shape." He paused, licking his lips. "It was worth it." He eyed the ring. "So, yes, you've made me very happy."

“Then let me go.” Mei stared up at him.

“Oh, Dearest,” the man said, laughing softly. “I won’t let you leave. Not when you can’t be trusted.” His face turned dark then, his smile disappearing. “You let another man touch you.”

Mei sucked in a breath at the venom in the other’s voice.

“Harada Masatoshi,” he said like it was poison on his tongue. “I thought you two were close before, but I had no idea the depth of his affection.”

“That’s right!” Mei tried to keep his voice level. “Masa-san and I-”

“You’re nothing but his whore!” the man yelled, springing forward and slapping Mei across the cheek.  Surprised by the sudden attack and the force behind it, Mei fell to the ground.  “Letting him touch you, his filthy hands tainting the purity of your skin, spreading you open…” He growled.

And, as quickly as he’d changed, he changed back, his face bright and cheery.

“But,” his captor continued, “You didn’t let him take your virginity.”

Mei flushed, his cheek still stinging.  He could taste blood in his mouth from where his teeth must have cut into the flesh.

“You were saving yourself for me, right?” he stepped closer and Mei shrunk back.

He wanted Masa.  He wanted nothing more than for the overprotective man to burst through the door and save him.

His captor crouched down beside him, brushing his bangs from his eyes.

“I’ll make sure to strip you down and cleanse you of every sin.”

“Mei!”

They both turned and saw the door open.  The blond couldn’t believe his eyes.  Masa was standing there, his gaze frantic until it fell on him.

“Mei, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” He said quickly.

“Don’t talk to that pig!” his captor spat and then turned on Masa. “How did you find us?”

“Step away from Mei,” Masa said, ignoring his question.  “The police are already on their way.”

“What right do you have to keep us apart?” he asked with a growl. “I’m his Destiny.” He brought a hand to his chest. “He’s wearing my ring.”

Masa was steadily getting closer and, when Mei saw his chance, he took it, diving behind the taller man and away from his stalker.

“Get away from him!” the man screeched.

“Calm down,” Masa placated him. “You don’t want to hurt Mei, do you? You’re his biggest fan-”

“His Destiny!” he corrected, eyes wild.

“Right, his destiny,” Masa said. “You wouldn’t want to hurt him, right?”

Masa was broad and it was easy for Mei to hide behind him.  He could hear the other man talking, but he couldn’t see him and, for that, he was glad.

“It might hurt a bit at first,” his stalker said and Mei heard him unzip one of his pockets followed by Masa’s sharp intake of breath.  “But then we’ll be together forever.”

“Put the weapon down,” Masa ordered.

Mei peeked around the larger man and gasped when he saw the knife in his stalker’s hand.  The other man saw him and looked into his eyes, his own wild and deranged.

“Come with me, My Dearest Mei.” He held his empty hand out toward him.  “I’ll dye your virgin skin your signature red and we can be together forever.”

“Don’t you fucking _touch_ him.” Masa said, voice low and threatening.  Mei had never heard him sound like that before.

“You!” the other man roared. “You’re in the way!” He lunged forward and Masa moved to block Mei.  The blond heard Masa grunt and then the clattering of the blade hitting the ground.  His stalker stepped back, his hand bloodied.

Just then the police came through the door, at least a half a dozen of them, and quickly apprehended the man.

“Mei!” he cried, pulling against his restraints as they dragged him away. “I’m your Destiny! You can’t live without me!” He laughed psychotically. “We’ll be together. In this world and the next!”

And then he was gone.

Mei felt like his legs might give out at any moment, but he stayed strong.  He reached out for Masa, intent on thanking him, but the large man pitched forward and crumpled at his feet.

“Masa-san?” he asked, eyes wide.  It was then that he noticed the puddle of blood on the ground, which was rapidly spreading.  He fell to his knees. “Masa-san?!”

“Mei…” He turned toward him, one of his large hands coming to cup his cheek. “Mei, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, you idiot!” he barked, tears filling his eyes. “You’re the one who’s hurt.”

“I’m okay, it’s just a…a scra…t-” but Masa didn’t say anything after that.  His large body went limp and Mei felt his chest constrict.

“Masa-san?” he shook him, but the other man didn’t respond.  “Ma…sa…?”

He needed to call an ambulance.  He needed to get Masa help.  But he couldn’t move.

“Harada-san!”

Mei was vaguely aware of someone holding him.

“Narumiya, are you hurt?” It was Arakita. Mei shook his head and looked over at Masa’s lifeless body.  Iwaizumi was crouched beside him, holding his balled up jacket over the wound and applying pressure.  He turned and shouted at one of the policemen, who was already on his cellphone.

“Masa…” Mei sobbed.

“He’ll be okay,” Arakita said, his voice sounding far away. “Narumiya, he’ll be okay.”

 

Toudou sat beside Mei in the waiting room.  Masa had been taken to the hospital by ambulance and rushed into surgery.  The other members of the band had gone back to the hotel for the night.  Mei didn’t blame them.  He’d been waiting for hours.

Masa was out of surgery, but he was still in critical condition.  That was the last he’d heard.

“Hey, are you thirsty?” Arakita suddenly appeared before him, handing him a styrofoam cup of water.  Mei took it, but didn’t drink.

“He’ll be okay,” Toudou said from beside him.

“It’s all my fault.” The blond shook his head.  He’d been thinking it over and over since it happened.

“It’s not your fault,” Toudou argued.

“I followed him.” He turned toward him. “I willingly followed him.”

“He was dressed as one of Harada’s men,” Arakita pointed out. “Anyone would have made the same mistake.”

“But it was my mistake and now Masa-san is-” he cut himself off with a sob.

“Shh…” Toudou soothed, rubbing his back. “It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t okay.

Mei sighed and rested his head on Toudou’s shoulder, letting his eyes slip closed.

When he awoke, he was in a hospital bed.  He panicked for a moment, but then he saw Toudou and Arakita sleeping in the chair across from him, the former cuddled on the latter’s lap. 

Mei pulled himself out of bed, noting that he was still in his clothes, and made to go check on Masa’s condition again, but a nurse opened the door and spotted him.

“Narumiya-san?” she asked.  She was a different nurse from before and it took Mei a moment to realize that it was already the next day.  He must have slept through the rest of the night.

“That’s me,” he answered.

“He’s asking for you.”

Mei had never walked so fast in his life.  He almost missed the nurse telling him the room number.  He tripped over his own feet as he fought to get the door open.

There, on a hospital bed, propped up by no less than eight pillows, was Masa.  He was staring wide-eyed at him, probably surprised by how suddenly Mei had opened the door.

“Mei,” he began and then smiled. “You’re alri-”

“Don’t you _ever_ scare me like that again!” Mei marched over to him, tears welling in his eyes. “Do you have any idea how terrified I was?” he sobbed. “I thought…I thought…!”

“I know.” Masa frowned, staring down at the blanket. “But, if it’s any consolation,” he looked up and offered a smile, face as earnest as ever, “I hadn’t planned on getting stabbed.”

“You…” Mei’s lip quivered.

“I’m just glad I got to you in time.” He lifted his hand and cupped his cheek. “When one of my men noticed their ID badge was missing and then Nao told me you’d gone off alone with a man who said I’d sent him…” He closed his eyes and swallowed. “I thought I was too late.”

They were silent for a moment, Mei enjoying the feel of the other man’s calloused palm against his cheek.  Masa was so warm.  So full of life.  A life he’d nearly lost.

“I’m sorry!” Mei said suddenly, causing the other man to open his eyes. “I’m sorry I yelled at you and ran off. And I’m sorry I got angry when all you were trying to do was help.”

“Mei…”

“I know I can be childish and bratty and I know that I’m probably always going to be, but,” he paused, blinking back tears. “Please forgive me.”

“Mei.” Masa gave a gentle smile, face softening. “I should be the one apologizing. I treated you like a child.”

“Well, I was acting like one, wasn’t I?” He gave a watery laugh.

“There you are,” Toudou said from behind them as he and Arakita walked into the room.

“Iwaizumi just called,” Arakita informed them. “Said the rest of the crew are coming down to pay you a visit.”

“Everyone?” Masa raised his thick eyebrows.

“Everyone.” Arakita sighed and rolled his eyes. “But,” he smiled, “glad to see you’re still among the living, Harada.”

“It will take more than that to bring me down.” He laughed. “After all, I am strong.”

Arakita looked at the man skeptically for a moment and then laughed, too.

“You sound like an old friend of mine.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Toudou agreed.

“What are you two going on about?” Mei asked, finally calmed down and starting to get annoyed. “And is everyone really coming?”

“Yeah,” Toudou said. “They should be here pretty soon, too.”

“In that case,” Masa began, getting their attention. “Do you mind if Mei and I have a few minutes alone?”

Arakita and Toudou nodded and stepped out of the room.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Masa said to him.

“I almost lost you, Masa-san.” Mei took one of the man’s large hands in his.  “Promise me you’ll never do something like that ever again.”

“I can’t-”

“Promise me!”

“Mei…”

“I know it’s your job.” Mei sighed, defeated. “Just promise you’ll be more careful.”

“Of course.” Masa reached up and combed his fingers through Mei’s hair, stroking the downy locks.

“I rather like my boyfriend alive and well, thank you.”

The hand froze and Mei peered up at Masa, gauging his reaction.

“So, you’re-”

“Of course, I am.”

“Oh.”

They were quiet.

“Today's show is cancelled,” Mei broke the silence. “Maybe I can keep you company tonight?”

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll nurse you back to health and then,” Mei reached up and put a hand over Masa’s on his head, nuzzling against it.  “After you’re all better, maybe we can pick up where we left off the other night in my hotel room?”

Masa blushed and Mei felt proud of himself.

“If you’re-”

“I am.”

“But only if-”

“I will.”

“Mei, let me finish a-”

“No.” The blond grinned.

Masa shook his head and leaned closer, wincing slightly. Mei offered an apologetic glance and closed the distance between them.

“Now, what did you want to say, Masa-san?” Mei asked, lips brushing the other man’s as he spoke.

“Kiss me.”

That’s all he needed to hear.  The blond leaned forward, but the moment their lips touched, the door to the hospital room flew open and everyone began filing in.  Mei pulled back and sighed, getting off the bed so the other visitors could wish the taller man well.

He jumped when Toudou elbowed him in the ribs.

“So, gonna nurse your boyfriend back to health, are you?” Toudou asked, violet eyes playful.

“He’s not my-” but he paused, so used to saying the same line.

Mei glanced over at the bed and caught Masa’s gaze.

“Yes. Yes I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> I threw another voice actor thing in there, hehe. Arakita and Toudou think Masa sounds just like someone they know. Hmm...maybe Fukutomi? :D "I am strong."
> 
> Please look forward to more of this Sports Anime Idol AU!!  
> (Next fic hint: Beach Volleyball) -- at least, I think, anyway. ^^;


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